"HAUMEA" IS THE POLYNESIAN GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND BIRTH. SHE IS A CALM AND LOVING, GENTLE, NURTURING GODDESS. SHE MATED WITH THE GOD, KANE MILOHAI, A MINOR CREATOR GOD, AND GAVE BIRTH TO MANY CHILDREN INCLUDING HAWAII'S MOST FAMOUS GODDESS, PELE. HER CHILDREN ALSO INCLUDED THE SEA GODDESS, NAMAKA, AND THE GODDESS OF THE HULA DANCERS, HI'IAKA; THUS, HAUMEA IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE MOTHER OF THE HAWAIIAN PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE GREAT EARTH MOTHER...THE GREAT COSMIC MOTHER.

HAUMEA IS WELL SKILLED IN CHILDBIRTH, AND, AS A RESULT, HER CHILDREN WEREN'T BORN OF HER BY TRADITIONAL METHODS; INSTEAD, THEY SPRANG FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF HER BODY...THUS VALIDATING HER POWER OF FERTILITY. FOR EXAMPLE, PELE WAS BORN FROM HER ARMPIT WHILE HI'IAKI SPRANG FROM HER MOUTH; NAMAKA CAME FROM HER MOTHER'S THIGH.SHE WAS MIDWIFE TO ALL MOTHERS AMONG HER PEOPLE, AND ACCORDING TO LEGEND, IT IS SHE WHO TAUGHT MOTHERS HOW TO GIVE BIRTH. SHE IS BELIEVED TO INTERVENE WHEN A MORTAL WOMAN'S LABOR WAS UNUSUALLY HARD OR TOO LONG BY MAKING AN APPEARANCE TO OFFER COMFORT AND PROVIDE NATURAL HOME REMEDIES. SOME CLAIM HER PRESENCE AT BIRTH INSURES AND EASY AND PAINLESS LABOR.

HER CONTROL OVER FERTILITY EXTENDS TO THAT OF PLANTS OF THE FOREST WILDERNESS, AND SHE IS CONNECTED WITH ALL OF HAWAII'S VEGETATION. SHE IS AN ABUNDANCE GODDESS, ENSURING THAT HER CHILDREN ARE FOREVER SUPPLIED AND NOURISHED WITH FOOD. HER BREAST MILK FORMS THE RIVERS OF THE EARTH, AND SHE ETERNALLY EVOLVES FROM MAIDEN TO CRONE...THEREBY SYMBOLIZING THE CYCLE OF LIFE AND OF THE EARTN.